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Swapping to traditional archery

Jgetch said:
So gentlemen, what’s a good intro trad bow that’s not breaking the bank but is still quality? Also what’s a good weight to start at? I pull 70+ with the compound but obviously that isn’t going to work with the switch....
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It might not seem manly but you want to start light. 30-40 pounds. You have all off season to get things ready. Developing your form is everything and easier to do with a light weight bow. Once you get a feel and good form then move up in weight. 40-50 pounds can kill anything if you can put the arrow where it needs to go. The Samick Sage is an excellent way to get started. It’s very affordable and limbs are cheap. Get a 30-35 pounder the 40-50 pound limbs later.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
I switched from a Jennings T Star to a Brackenbury recurve back in 1992. I started following the Wensel boys in the mid 1980s and thought "I want to do that". By the early '90s I got sick of the runaway technology (wow, times have changed) and I started to not even want to pick up my compound anymore. To me, it wasn't a bow, it was some sort of contraption. I thought that bows shouldn't have so many nuts, bolts and mechanical parts so I made the switch and I will never go back to tech. When the day comes that I can no longer shoot my recurve effectively, then I'll just become a meat hunter with a firearm. Nothing against guns or compounds, but at this point in my 61 year life, they just ain't for me.
There was one year since I switched that for some reason, I was in a shooting slump and I got the compound back out (around 2,000). I hated it. I killed 2 bucks with it that year but I had such a hollow feeling...kinda like I was cheating myself out of something.
I shot my 60th deer this year. Probably 45 of them were shot with trad gear.
The majority of them have been taken with a 52#, 60" Allegheny Mountain Recurve. I love that bow.

I highly recommend trying trad. Just be firm in the mindset that you will probably be limiting your shots to well under 20 yards in the beginning. I've extended my range to about 19 yards and I'm okay with that limitation. Last season, I had a borderline Booner at 30 yards. Most of the compound guys would have shot that buck. I watched him walk out of my life with no regrets. Letting deer walk that I could have killed via technology has become almost enjoyable. I consider it a victory just being within 30 yards of a big buck. The days when I felt like I desperately needed to kill a buck are long gone and I'm fine with it.
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This is wisdom from experience. You young bucks need to take this to heart and pay attention. The tv shows only tell a small part of the story. If you want instant gratification traditional bowhunting is not for you. If you want to stretch yourself and work within your own personal limitations you will be a better hunter
 
Mnfisher said:
Look on Ebay for used bows. Id personally look at Bear bows (Grizzly, Kodiak) They made and sold ALOT of them over the years, so theres a ton on the market. Usually can pick one used for under $200. Grizzly is my favorite. Light, Balanced and quiet
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The Bear Grizzly is an overlooked bow because it has been looked at as a bow for beginners but it is a flat out killer of a bow.
 
Recurveaholic said:
Yes I find myself wishing my widow was shorter especially when I'm tight quarters!
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I have been trying to shoot a 1965 Bear Kodiak Magnum since summer. It’s a little touchy at 52” and I haven’t had confidence with it until recently and only to about 15 yards. It is a nice bow to handle. I have tried many short bows and so far this is the only one I would consider taking to the woods.
 
Heydeerman said:
This is wisdom from experience. You young bucks need to take this to heart and pay attention. The tv shows only tell a small part of the story. If you want instant gratification traditional bowhunting is not for you. If you want to stretch yourself and work within your own personal limitations you will be a better hunter
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I have never heard it said any better!
 
public_land said:
I made a selfbow in 2017. It is addicting, but I have not switched totally. I have my trad bow and compound in the truck with me. Some days I grab the stick bow, some days I grab the compound. I have shot 3 deer with my stick bow. They have to be close. I don't like shooting out to 20 yards with it. I get in tight to where I expect the deer to come from when I have my stick bow.View attachment 8909
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this is great work i hope mine turns out half this good!
 
So what are some good arrows to go with a 35lb sage? Anything 500 spine with feathers?

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ricky racer said:
If at all possible, attend a traditional bow shoot nearest you. Spend some time looking at bows, shooting bows and talking with folks there to see what feels comfortable to you. Most stick bows look similar but feel and shoot differently. At traditional shoots there's plenty of venders selling used as well as new bows. There will be bows to fit any budget.
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Are you going to the expo in Kalamazoo? I think I'm going to on that Saturday.

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Recurveaholic said:
this is great work i hope mine turns out half this good!
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Thanks!

I backed it with a bull snake skin. The skin didn't quite stretch the whole length, so I cut it and left the gap at the handle and hid it under paracord. To blend the ends of the hide near the string nocks, I wrapped them with serving string. Before adding the serving string and paracord, I gave it 6-8 (can't remember exactly how many) coats of Tru-Oil gun stock finish.

I love hunting with it. I have contemplated making arrows. Maybe in the future.
 
I switched to traditional about 9 months ago. I have shot compound for about 15 years. Finally got tired of having to mess with bow tune, sight adjustments, misplacing my release aid, Having to go to a pro shop anytime I had to have the bow pressed or the strings replaced, etc, etc. Harvested my first doe this year with a recurve. Don't regret the decision for a minute. Don't need a pro shop for anything, Can change out a damaged string in about 20 seconds and the only tuning I need to pay attention to is brace height and nock height. The rest is on me. If I miss a shot now its because I short drawed or plucked the string or my form was bad. The traditional archery does take way more practice time though so if you can't dedicate a considerable amount of time to shooting your bow then you might be better off sticking to the compounds.
 
Make the switch, its fun. I shot a recurve until 4 years ago. Elbow issues made me shelve the recurve and move to a Mathews No Cam. It was that or quit bowhunting. It does take way more practice to shoot traditional. Plan on shooting at least some year round. Everyone is making good points and a 45lb traditional bow will kill every big game animal in North America. I recommend a Black Widow....they are awesome.
 
scootergoodwrench said:
I switched to traditional about 9 months ago. I have shot compound for about 15 years. Finally got tired of having to mess with bow tune, sight adjustments, misplacing my release aid, Having to go to a pro shop anytime I had to have the bow pressed or the strings replaced, etc, etc. Harvested my first doe this year with a recurve. Don't regret the decision for a minute. Don't need a pro shop for anything, Can change out a damaged string in about 20 seconds and the only tuning I need to pay attention to is brace height and nock height. The rest is on me. If I miss a shot now its because I short drawed or plucked the string or my form was bad. The traditional archery does take way more practice time though so if you can't dedicate a considerable amount of time to shooting your bow then you might be better off sticking to the compounds.
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Yep, definitely a low maintenance device. Several years ago, I was 20 feet up with my recurve hanging on a small dead branch that seemed to be sturdy. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I caught a glimpse of my bow falling, and then I heard it hit the ground...CRAP! I climbed down and got it, checked it over for damage and saw none and then I carefully took a few test draws. Everything was fine. 2 hours later I killed a nice 4 year old 8 point with it. If I was using a gadget bow with all the bells and whistles, I would have, at the very least, had to take some practice shots to confirm the $200 sight wasn't bumped, and possibly even would have had to end my hunt for the day (or week) to go to the range or get tools or go to the pro shop (and pay $$$). The worst part of my incident was worrying I was gonna get busted by deer when climbing to retrieve my rugged bow.
There is no way I would have shot that buck that day if it was a tech bow than took a 20 foot swan-dive.
 
Allegheny Tom said:
Yep, definitely a low maintenance device. Several years ago, I was 20 feet up with my recurve hanging on a small dead branch that seemed to be sturdy. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I caught a glimpse of my bow falling, and then I heard it hit the ground...CRAP! I climbed down and got it, checked it over for damage and saw none and then I carefully took a few test draws. Everything was fine. 2 hours later I killed a nice 4 year old 8 point with it. If I was using a gadget bow with all the bells and whistles, I would have, at the very least, had to take some practice shots to confirm the $200 sight wasn't bumped, and possibly even would have had to end my hunt for the day (or week) to go to the range or get tools or go to the pro shop (and pay $$$). The worst part of my incident was worrying I was gonna get busted by deer when climbing to retrieve my rugged bow.
There is no way I would have shot that buck that day if it was a tech bow than took a 20 foot swan-dive.
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If you ever watch some of the old Fred Bear videos, I love it when he used his bows to help hold himself up when he was crossing rivers and when he got to the other side he'd just toss the bow into the weeds on the shore and get out. Try and do that with a wheel bow! Lol
 
Redhaven said:
Check out Maddog Archery if you want a custom longbow or recurve without breaking the bank. You can get one for $300. Mike does good work. They don’t have any fancy engraving or anything, but they shoot well.
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Yup this is what I have. Parie Predator 46@26
 
Had to google Blufton. Heard of it but didn’t know where it is. You a MLA member? I went to their GLLI a few years ago. One of the best shoots I ever attended.
 
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